Fact Sheet

Our Mission

Valley Hospice is an interdisciplinary team of caring and competent professionals and volunteers committed to quality, cost-effective care for the terminally ill and family members, enabling patients to live to the fullest.

History

August, 1985: Valley Hospice, Inc. began to provide comfort-oriented care and support to terminally ill patients and their families in the Ohio Valley from the Steubenville, OH office.

July, 1986: Certified as a Medicare Hospice provider.

January, 1992: Wheeling, WV office opened.

November, 1997: Achieved Accreditation with Commendation from Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

November, 2000: Re-accredited by JCAHO.

Milestones:

1986 (first full year of operation): Approximately 10 full-time employees cared for less than 100 patients and families.

2000: 55 staff professional and 143 active volunteers cared for 605 patients and their families.

2005: 120 staff and over 200 volunteers cared for 1,000 patients and families.

Geographical Service Area Counties:

In Ohio we serve the residents of Belmont, Jefferson, southeastern Harrison, and southern Columbiana Counties.

In West Virginia, we serve the residents of Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, and Ohio Counties.

Eligibility Criteria for Admission to Valley Hospice

Patient has terminal illness with a life expectancy typically six months or less if the disease runs its natural, expected course

• Patient is no longer undergoing aggressive treatment
• Patient accepts the principles of hospice care
• Patient’s physician agrees with hospice philosophy

Services Available from Valley Hospice

Because of the variety of problems facing a terminally ill person and his/her family, hospice care is best provided by an interdisciplinary team. The team consists of:

• The patient’s own physician
• Valley Hospice Medical Director
• RN’s who make regular scheduled visits and are available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays
• Certified nursing assistants available to assist the patient with personal care
• Social workers available for emotional support and counseling as well as to link patients and families with financial, social, or legal resources
• Chaplains who provide spiritual care in coordination with the patient/family’s own spiritual community
• Volunteers who provide assistance to the patient and family in a variety of ways
• Bereavement counselors available to families for up to 13 months following the patient’s death

Goals of Hospice Care

To help the terminally ill person live each day as fully as possible without pain and with other physical symptoms under control

To meet the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the patient and family

To allow the patient to be cared for at home for as long as possible by assisting in and teaching family members the appropriate care techniques.

To insure the long-term physical and emotional well-being of loved ones after the patient’s death.

Costs of Hospice Care

Hospice services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance and managed care plans

Some patients are able to pay for hospice services. Costs are billed based on the patient’s ability to pay.

Valley Hospice, Inc. provides services to anyone who is eligible regardless of financial status.

As the foremost non-profit agency exclusively providing hospice care in the Ohio Valley, Valley Hospice accepts donations, memorial gifts, grants, and organizes the annual Light Up a Life Tree Campaign to defray the cost of services not reimbursed (patient care, community and professional education, and community-wide bereavement services).

For more information, call 1.877.HOSPICE.
(467-7423)